A Page From My Journal

My husband has now been out of work for an entire year.

This unexpected situation has prompted me to reflect deeply, asking myself,

“What am I learning from this past year while Dave has been without a job?”

The insights gained have been profound and transformative, and I feel compelled to share a few of them with you.

POWER OF PERSPECTIVE:

Even when the day-to-day feels like it’s “not working,” the bigger picture shows that it IS WORKING! Zooming out and noticing the larger picture has been a pleasant surprise for me. Making me see things working even better than I could have imagined.

CLARITY IN DESIRES:

Defining what you want is crucial to recognizing it when you get it. (And in many cases, realizing that what we seek, we already possess)

HOPE vs. FEAR:

The unexpected can be scary. I can believe that it’s going to be horrible, awful, and devastating. Or I can believe that it will work out for the greater good. Neither is true (yet), so the latter opens doors and helps me focus on hope and creating trust.

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL:

This period has been an eye-opener for me, to the myriad of talents and skills we all possess, waiting to be explored and utilized. This has been a time to uncover more skills, talents, and desires. AND just because you can do something (and be good at it) doesn’t mean it’s your path.

IMPACT BEYOND BUSINESS:

I learned I could significantly impact my family financially, but I want my most significant influence and impact to be of an understanding, supportive, available, loving mother and wife. This has adjusted how I run my business and think about money.

DIVINE ENCOUNTERS:

God puts people in our path, even if it’s just for a very short time. We are taught, guided, and helped in many ways with each experience.

TRUSTING THE UNKNOWN:

It’s okay not to know the how or what’s next. As a planner at heart, accepting uncertainty and placing my trust in God has been a challenging yet rewarding journey.

EMBRACE:

The Lord is in charge! After saying my prayers and listing my asks, I’ve learned to end with “or something better”. This allows God to bless me with what I truly need.

These insights have impacted me, and I hope they offer comfort, inspiration, and strength where you may need it right now.

As strong women, entrepreneurs, mothers, partners, and daughters, we are resilient women capable of adapting and thriving despite adversity.

Five Simple Things to Know to Save You Time and Mental Energy

These are the FIVE simple things you need to know to save time and energy and get results FASTER!

Numbers 5 and 6 might be my favorites! ⁠
⁠
The best five things you NEED TO KNOW to save time and mental energy and get results faster ARE… drum roll, please! ⁠
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Your top 5 priorities! ⁠
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That’s it! ⁠
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But why are priorities so POWERFUL? ⁠
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  1. When your priorities are clear, you know what to say yes to and what to say no to. ⁠
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  2. When your priorities aren’t defined, you think everything is important, which leaves you saying yes to the things that don’t complement your priorities, contributing to you being over-scheduled and not getting the important things completed. ⁠
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  3. Priorities help you set clear, intentional boundaries. When your priorities are defined, setting boundaries becomes easier. Whether it’s work hours, family time, or church commitments, knowing what’s essential allows you to stick to your boundaries, ensuring you’re giving your best (and your time) where it matters most.⁠
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  4. When you don’t live by and schedule from your priorities, you are letting yourself down by not doing to the necessary actions to create the life/results you want. ⁠
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  5. When you DO live by and schedule from your priorities, you don’t let anyone else down by
    • having to reschedule meetings,⁠
    • dropping the ball on tasks you said you would do⁠
    • being late because you were overscheduled & ran out of time.⁠

  6. Knowing your priorities makes your words more impeccable and trustworthy (to yourself and others)!⁠

Having A Hard Time Staying Motivated

When I taught special education, the IEP team would come up with a set of criteria to consider the goal mastered.

That criteria usually sounded like this.

“Between now and July 30th, Ceri will, when given change of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters be able to count the change correctly up to one dollar with 90% accuracy in three out of four attempts.”

If you’re having a hard time staying motivated toward a goal, there’s a good chance I know what you’re NOT DOING!

Keep reading, this is IMPORTANT!!

Let’s break down what I’ve learned about goal setting from my time as a special education teacher to understand what you’re NOT DOING!
  • Make the criteria very specific. I didn’t just say count change. I said, “When given a change of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters… count the change correctly up to one dollar.” Sometimes the goal would be set to count only pennies and nickels and up to 50 cents. Even the goal of learning to count change needs to be specific to know what has been mastered and when.
  • Determine ahead of time what mastery will be. Because we are human, there are going to be mistakes, That’s why I wrote goals that said, “with 90% accuracy in three out of four attempts.” With money, I often set the criteria for 100% accuracy in 3 out of 4 attempts, but things like answering reading comprehension questions might have been 80% accuracy in 4 out of 4 attempts. This means the criteria for mastering reading comprehension at a specific grade level is consistently scoring 80% over time (4 out of 4 attempts).
  • Set the time frame for what you will learn (do) and when you will learn (do) it. “Between now and July 30th” Ceri will…”

And here’s the TRICK to the time frame.

Let the time frame be your guide, be your motivator, something to help you know if you’re making progress, not the final word or deflator.

If a child had not mastered the goal by the time set, we didn’t give up on or abandon the goal. We kept working on it until it was mastered. If a child had not mastered the goal in a certain time frame, progress was still made. The child had learned things to help them, and if they keep working at it, eventually they become the master.

Let the time frame keep you focused, but stay focused on the PROGRESS, not the time frame!

I don’t teach you this to make goal-setting feel EVEN MORE complicated.

I tell you this to help you feel more CONFIDENT and motivated in your goals.

It’s so helpful to know exactly what you need to do and how often, in what amount of time, and with what accuracy to master a goal.

We’d master and stay motivated to many more goals if we took the time to make them very specific and create room for being human.

What if your goals sounded more like this?

Between now and March 30, 2024, I will post 3 out of 7 days on Instagram with 90% accuracy.

That means you shoot to post 3 times each week and over the time set (between now and March 30,) you have 10% wiggle room for your humanness.

Whatever your goals sound like, take a look at them and ask…

Is the criteria of what you will do very specific? Not just close “more” consults or post “more” on social media.

Have you determined what you will consider mastery? 100%, 80% 3 out of 4 times… it’s up to you, but know ahead of time what it will be.

Have you set a time frame for when you will reach this goal and allow that time frame to help you stay on track towards your learning/progress, rather than defeat you?

Clutter Is Not Just Physical Stuff

Do you know that closet (or drawer) that you’ve been putting off cleaning out?

What’s even in there?

How much clutter is in that space that is

  • literally junk
  • stuff that should have already been throw away
  • things have no purpose
  • junk that hides the good things
  • crap you will never miss?

Our brains get like that closet too.

There’s stuff in our brains we don’t even know is in there too! Thoughts we think are helping us but are of little value. Old ideas just take up space, keeping us mentally scattered and physically exhausted.

If there was a way to clean out your brain clutter,
  • clear the thoughts that keep you stuck & Afraid
  • remove the lies you think about yourself
  • the bad habits you keep repeating
  • the junk thoughts that make you think you’re not capable

Would you want to hire that person to clean out your brain?
I am that person.

When we don’t have enough time or the success we want, that’s a sign that our brain is cluttered with a bunch of stuff we should throw away, with junk that hides the truth and good stuff.

Once your brain is decluttered, you will have more time to tackle the physical clutter and streamline your home and business processes to help you reach the results you desire in both.

Do you know how good it feels to clean out that closet and see the huge trash bag leave your home??

That’s the same feeling you get when you let a coach help you clear your brain clutter.
It’s liberating.
It’s powerful.
It’s the only way to make room for the good stuff!

Goal Setting Questions

As we dive into the new year, many of the ambitious women I work with are thinking about setting and achieving new goals!

What I’ve noticed working with women entrepreneurs is that it’s very easy to complicate the process with really, good intentions.

Elaborate plans, several action steps, and detailed strategies don’t often empower us as we hope but rather leave us overwhelmed and, ultimately, farther from our goal.

Let’s simplify 2024!

Instead of getting bogged down with an intricate plan that becomes more daunting than the goal itself, let’s take a step back.

ONE: Set your goal – be clear and concise, and know the result you will create when you achieve that goal.

TWO: Uncomplicate your goal-setting process by answering just two transformative questions:

1. What is one simple thing I can start doing to help me achieve my goal? 

This question prompts action. It encourages you to identify new habits, skills, or activities that propel you forward. It’s about adding something to your daily routine that aligns directly with your desired results.

2. What is one simple thing I can I stop doing to help me reach my goal? 

Equally important, this question is about elimination. It’s recognizing the obstacles or time-wasters in your life that hinder progress. Many think goals are about doing more but doing less of the time-wasters that hinder progress might be even more important.

By focusing on these two questions, you streamline the result-creation process. You make goal setting a simple and responsive experience, adjusting as you learn what works best for you.

This approach is adaptable to any personal, professional goal, or something in between. So, as you ponder your 2024 goals, keep these questions in mind and enjoy reaching your goals more simply!

Here’s to setting goals that inspire and motivate, not overwhelm.

First Half

Disclaimer: Even if you’re not a runner or have zero interest in running EVER, this email is still very much for you!

This week, I was working with a client who was hesitant about her goal, her first 5K.

I could tell she had “expectations” for how her experience “should” look.

Did she think…

  • training had to look a certain way, or it wasn’t “good enough?”
  • she had to get a specific time for her first race, or it wasn’t worth telling anyone about?
  • that by signing up, it meant she had to RUN the entire thing?
Completing my first half marathon weighing over 220 pounds, I had a lot to share with her, and it might be helpful for you too! 

As you read, consider your next goal, business project/idea, or motherhood challenge you want to go after. 

Do you have it in mind? If not, think about it! 

Do you think it has to look a certain way to “count?”

When I went to pick up my race packet and received my 

t-shirt, I was made aware that I was the only size XL shirt on the roster, and that was for both the men’s and women’s races. I certainly didn’t look (or weigh) the way most 1/2 marathon runners look, but does that negate my success?

Do you think, if it’s not done by a specific time it’s any less of an accomplishment?

I had one main goal for my first race.

Finish the Race

When we think a goal, project, or challenge has to be completed/solved/obtained by a particular time, that “made-up time frame” often stops us from even starting. 

Ditch the time frame and dedicate yourself to moving forward a little bit more each day. 

Do you think you have to have it all figured out or have the best idea, perfect certification, a big network, or fancy equipment to be successful? 

I didn’t look like your typical 1/2 marathon runner, but I also didn’t have a water supply around my waist, no fancy fuel packs, no watch to time my pace, I ran alone, and I wore hand-me-down running shoes. 

All those “strikes” against me, and I still 

completed the goal.

Remember that goal, business idea, or motherhood challenge that you thought of at the beginning of this email? 

What if you dropped the expectations of what it is supposed to look like and just started?  

Drop the excuses keeping you from going after your next big thing!  

It didn’t matter what I weighed or didn’t have because I was running my OWN race, I set my expectations, and my timeline, and I reached my goals by taking baby steps MY WAY!!  

Those principles are exactly how I grew my six-figure business in less than 18 months while teaching full-time school and parenting my three daughters!
Run your own dang race in life, business, and motherhood!

Run it on your terms, with your OWN goals, fostering your strengths, without excuses, and in a way that makes you proud. 

If you reach your goals, and you’re not proud of how you got there, did you really reach it?   

Treadmill

Do you ever feel like you’re on a treadmill set just a little too fast?

Do you feel like your days are spoken for by endless tasks, roles in family and work, too many expectations, and the pressure to “keep up” in a society that never seems to slow down?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s a daunting situation we all face.

If only there were an emergency shut-off button in life, like on treadmills.

I have something even better than the emergency shut-off button to share with you. I have the solution to keep you from feeling like you need to reach for that button in the first place.

Working with hundreds of women over the years, I’ve noticed they think they don’t have “enough time,” but usually, they are trying to plan too much in their time that’s impossible to complete in the hours they have!

They are trying to stuff a size ten “schedule” into a size two space.

To help you fit everything in with the time you have, you MUST KNOW THE DIFFERENCE between your S.O.F.T and T.R.U.E priorities.

When you make something a priority for S.O.F.T. reasons, you are stuffing the “wrong things” into the limited time you have.

S.O.F.T. priorities are based from

  • SHOULDS – thinking you should do certain things because that is what “good” women, mothers, and entrepreneurs “should” do)
  • OTHER’S PERCEPTIONS – you do things you don’t want to do because you want to control how others think about you). You say yes so they WILL think “really amazing things” about you. Or, you don’t want them to believe you are incapable so you say yes… stuffing extra things into your already full schedule.
  • FEARS – adding things to your schedule because you’re afraid of what could happen in the future if you don’t do something. If you don’t work out you’ll get a terrible disease. If you say no, people won’t invite you again. Fear that if you slow down or don’t work 24/7, things will fall apart.
  • THEY OR THEM – doing things so you don’t let “them” down or because “they” will be upset if you say no.
If you’re adding tasks to your to-do list for S.O.F.T reasons, you will ALWAYS be over scheduled and trying to stuff too much into a tiny window.

5 Things to Automate in Your Business

5 things you can automate in your business right now for very little cost.

1. Scheduling:

Say bye-bye to back-and-forth emails trying to schedule meetings. Automate regular meetings to the same time/day each week. For those variable meetings, create a free scheduling link using Calendly to automate that process.

2. Create canned emails, and responses, and use templates.

If you’ve sent out the same response, email, or invoice more than once, create a system (as simple as using the notes apps on your phone or creating a Google Doc page) to copy and paste your response or use templates to save time and mental energy.

3. Social Media Posting Service.

Batch your social media content creation and schedule it using a posting service such as Canva or Later (less than $100 a year). These services can be posted on all platforms. Saves time posting and keeps you off social media!

4. Automate Expense Tracking.

Platforms like Expensify, Receipt Bank, and Quicken can automatically track, categorize, and report your business expenses.

5. Automated Surveys & Feedback.

Use tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey to collect customer feedback automatically after a product purchase or service completion.

Automation doesn’t mean losing the personal touch. It’s optimizing repetitive tasks to focus more on value-driven activities for your business.

In 4 Years of Competitive Training, I Didn’t Hear This Once!

I grew up playing various sports, volleyball, and softball being my favorite.

When I entered high school, I made a name for myself at third base because I had a strong arm that could rocket the ball accurately to first, and I thrived on fast, quick, short hops and grounders that often seemed to appear in my glove magically.

It was so fun!

Every day I went to practice I heard, “Porter, get on third.”

You know what I NEVER HEARD?

I never heard, “Porter, go out to center field and take some pop flies.”
WHY?

Because my specific skills made me succeed as a third baseman.

I didn’t need to be great (or even good) at any other position to succeed as a softball player and receive a college scholarship.

I just need to be good at doing the things I was good at. The things third-base women needed to be good at.

The colleges didn’t ask if I could catch a pop fly (I’m terrified of them to be honest). I’d rather have a ball come flying towards me at warp speed than wait, and wait for a pop fly.

And they didn’t ask because it didn’t matter!

They needed someone who could accurately scoop up grounders, short hops, and bunts and get the person running to first out!

Because my stories always relate to business and motherhood, here’s the “catch!” (See what I did there!)

Decide what skills you’re great at, what skills you enjoy doing, what skills sound fun to learn, and DO MORE OF THOSE!

FOCUS ON GETTING REALLY GOOD AT THOSE SKILLS!

I’m not crafty, and I don’t really enjoy them, so my kids didn’t craft (with me). I did, HOWEVER, give them opportunities to hone their crafy skills through other friends, and family members, I put them in classes, etc., and now my 20-year-old has a VERY successful wedding cake business.

I never said, Porter, well, I was Payne by then, I never said “Payne get out your crafts and work on them till you like them more, till you’re better at them.

So the next time you think,
“I ought to be better at (fill in the blank).”
I should spend more time on this “weakness” or “thing that I don’t like doing”….
Everyone is so much better at X than I am”

Remember, in business and motherhood, you have strengths, talents, and things you enjoy.
Practice those things so that you can be the best darn version of YOU!

Let the other entrepreneurs (and moms) do their thing, you do yours, and together you will impact the world with greater success by focusing on your strengths!

Who’s That Girl?

I’ve recently become a fan of the show “New Girl.”

One of the episodes I watched recently was about two people deciding to “go all-in” on their relationship. 

Their “all-in” included leaving their friends and moving to Mexico and did a few crazy things that they wouldn’t normally do for the sake of “going all-in.”  At one point in the episode, they were captured by the Mexican police for their choices. To show their commitment while they were in “jail”, they all put their American passport in the shredder. 

What crazy things have you found yourself doing for the sake of “going all in? 

Going all-in on your business and motherhood doesn’t mean that you are doing it all! ⁠ 

Going all-in is when you intentionally decide from your priorities what you’re going to do to get the results you desire. ⁠ ⁠ 

Going all-in is staying committed to those actions and results! ⁠ ⁠ If the actions of your day aren’t getting you closer to the results you desire in your business and motherhood, I encourage you to take inventory! ⁠ ⁠ 

Going all-in is evaluating your actions. ⁠ ⁠

Ask yourself, what can you do less of and still reach your results?⁠ ⁠

What actions can you do without, hire out, assign to a child, reconsider, or consider a huge bonus if you do them? ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 

This past year I decided to hire out three services that have saved me hours and hours of time and mental energy.
  • ⁠I got a grocery delivery service, and as of today, it says it has saved me 29 hours in the past 6 months. ⁠ ⁠ I’m pretty sure that’s a very, very low estimate of time saved!
  • I also purchased a social media scheduling service. This posting service has saved me at least 20-30 minutes each day and the price was under $100. Besides coaching, it’s seriously the best business purchase I made in 2020. 
  • You know the third one right? I hired a coach to help me stop feeling like the “new girl” and strategize what I need to continue, and start doing to grow my business the way I want!

If you want to go all-in on your business and motherhood, but still feeling so new (even though it’s a while); I invite you to click here to schedule a free session with me.  

Coaching will help you go all-in with purpose and a plan.  We will discover the results you desire and make a plan for you to make that happen.  

Ready to go all in?  

Ready to start approaching your motherhood and business with direction, a plan, and intention?  I

I’m currently adding clients to my waitlist, so if you think you want on my list, schedule your free consolation to find out for sure just how done you are at feeling like the “new girl!”